Young fire knife dancer from South Auckland, 8, working to be the best
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Loading... - Davis Arley
- 22 Feb 2023
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Most kids are taught not to play with fire, but for 8-year-old Zion Savea and his family, afi (fire) has connected them to their rich Samoan culture and history.
Ailao afi or siva afi (fire knife dancing) originates in Samoa and is originally performed with a nifo oti - a type of club or knife with teeth along one edge and a hook at the end.
Some accounts say the siva afi was used as a warrior’s show of prowess; while others say it was a communication tool at night - particularly during war and colonisation.
These days, it features in Polynesian cultural performances across the world, with competitors descending on the shores of Hawaii every year to compete in the World Fireknife Championship.
unia and Lafi Savea, Zion’s mum and dad, saw the spark in their little boy’s eyes before he had even started primary school.
“Ever since he was four his dad used to show him fire dancing in Hawaii and around the world and we noticed he was really interested and would pick up a stick and start spinning,” mum Iunia says.
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Zion Savea, 7, is a siva afi dancer from South Auckland. Photo / Supplied
His parents, both New Zealand-born and based in South Auckland, wanted to ensure their son embraced Samoan culture while having fun; as Iunia did in her younger years, finding her place with siva Samoa (Samoan dance).
Nu’ulua Performing Arts Academy, in Kelston in West Auckland, took Zion in for training in 2020. Lessons, however, were cut short, as the Covid-19 pandemic reached Aotearoa. Read More…
